School Woes
by Beloved Dawn
Summary: It's not that she didn't love new things and learning, school and homework were jsut not interesting enough. With a little help, though, anything can be overcome.


"I'm really sorry, Usako. I'm behind in my studies by a year myself. I can't be your tutor right now. Plus, I'm really more of a distraction than a help right now. Maybe Ami can help?" Mamoru really felt bad about not being able to help his girlfriend. She'd been through a horrible year, which was partly his fault, and he wanted nothing more than to make things easier for her. Unfortunately, he knew he wouldn't be able to help her like she needed it right now.

The petite blonde with him sighed. She had already tried Ami. And Rei, and Naru, and Makoto. Minako didn't have the ability to help her. She was in big trouble now. Mamoru had been her last option, due to the distraction factor. Still, she really needed help. Her marks proved that. "It's alright, Mamo-chan. I understand. Don't worry, I'll figure it out." With that she stood to give him a quick kiss before moving off, deep in though.

"Hey Usagi! Earth to Usagi! You listening, girl?" A friendly voice jerked her out of her reverie. She smiled as she saw Michiru waving to her. Abandoning her brooding, she quickly joined the senior student on her park bench. "What's with the face, little one? Why so preoccupied?"

"Oh Michiru, I just don't know what to do! I need help with my schoolwork, but no one seems able to get the subjects through my thick skull! It's not like I enjoy getting bad grades, it jsut happens. I jsut don't understand." The blue-haired violinist listened sympathetically to her younger friend. Suddenly, remembering a comment her teacher made in class, inspiration struck.

"Have you thought about a tutor? Not one of your friends helping out, but a real tutor? My English teacher said something today in class about having been a tutor. Maybe she could help!"

"Really?" asked the teary blonde. "Do you think she would?"

"We'll never know unless we ask! C'mon!"

With that the older girl pulled Usagi into a nearby high school and to a particular room. "Excuse me, Ms. Fijnamen, this is my friend Usagi. She needs a tutor. You made a comment earlier in class about tutoring, so I thought maybe you could help her."

With that introduction, Usagi found herself thrust at a different woman with dark hair and kind blue eyes. "Ummm, yeah, I really do need help in school. Michiru kinda pulled me after her. Do you think you could help?"

The woman smiled. It was a friendly smile, and helped Usagi relax. "Why don't we discuss that? Come, have a seat. Then you can tell me what you need a tutor for, okay?" At Usagi's nod, Michiru quietly excused herself, knowing she'd done all she could.

"So what do you need a tutor for?" Asked the woman kindly. After all, she wasn't a miracle worker, and definitely couldn't help with the finer points of classes involving a lot of discussion. After all, she was a Canadian, just over to teach English. It was an exciting opportunity to travel, and she hadn't been able to pass the opportunity by.

"Well, for the most part, English and Math. I'm most behind in those. I just can't wrap my head around either. They don't make sense, and English isn't spoken outside the classroom, so I never get further than a few memorized phrases with it."

"That I can help with. Both of them. Are you busy tonight?" At the shaken head, she lady continued. "How about we meet at the library at 7 and go till 9? You can't learn much in a shorter time, but after two hours the brain turns to mush, right?" Usagi giggled at the comment, but agreed wholeheartedly. After confirming some details, she left for home with a lighter heart.

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"I'm home Mom!" She called as she sailed through the door.

"How did your test go dear?" Her mother responded from the kitchen, asking a question Usagi had been dreading earlier.

"I passed, but just barely. Don't worry, I've found myself a tutor. We're meeting at the library tonight for our first session. I'm sure it'll help. She seems really nice. She's a Canadian who's teaching English at my friend Michiru's school." came the airy, and completely unexpected, reply.

"That's good dear! I'm proud of you for setting something like that up by yourself! I didn't think you really cared enough about your schooling to take that initiative." Ikuko beamed happily, the badly done test overlooked in the moment thanks to her daughter's actions. She hoped this would work. She hated seeing her daughter struggle like she did.

"No, you cannot go sharpen you pencil. It's sharp enough. Quit stalling and solve the problem. It's the exact same as the rest of the ones you've done, just has more steps." Usagi sighed. Marilynn (as her tutor had chosen to be called) was a harsh taskmistress. Very helpful, but not at all tolerant of wandering attention spans. Not that this was a bad thing. Both had figured out quickly that Usagi didn't have any trouble with math. She was actually quite good at it.

Usagi's problem was simply that she couldn't keep focused. She'd rock in her chair, get distracted, try to start a conversation, or even just start doodling. However, her marks were showing a definite improvement. She was now in the top third of her grade. It was a position she had never been in before, and was more than willing to accept Marilynn's chastisement if it meant she stayed there.

On Marilynn's insistence, they had been to get some tests done at the Child Develpment Center a few months back. Now it was spring, and Usagi was nervous. Her finals were coming up, so she needed the review sessions more than ever. Not because of the exams themselves, but thanks to a conference she was attending in a week. It was the single most important occurrence in her civilian life to date. Her fear was what was preventing her from focussing on her work.

Marilynn understood. Usagi was quite happy being the center of attention, but wasn't very excited about the idea of public speaking. Especially since this conference was entirely in English. By now she was basically fluent, due to Marilynn deciding they could kill two birds with one stone if all tutoring sessions were done in English after the first month.

Usagi smiled, remembering the English tutoring sessions from the first month. Marilynn had told her to just sit, relax, and tell her about her day. In English. If a concept didn't come across, Usagi was allowed to say it in Japanese, but Marilynn would immediately translate in to English and make Usagi say in again, properly.

"Yoo hoo, Usagi! Math problems, remember? After that we'll go through you speech again. Now concentrate."

Still smiling, Usagi got down to the annoying process of algebra.

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"I'm so glad you two could come. I'm scared stiff." The little blonde said worriedly to her boyfriend and good friend Ami.

"Of course we came! When you told us you were giving a speech, nothing would keep us away. We know you need us." The bookish, blue haired girl said, both for herself and for the tall black haired man next to her. "The only that surprised me was that you didn't invite the others. I know it's a medical conference, and you didn't think they'd appreciate it, but still. Do they even know we're here? And what sort of speech are you giving at a medical conference anyway?"

Usagi just smiled mysteriously. This was her big moment. She now had the chance to help others, just as Marilynn had helped her. She wasn't going to let it go to waste. Neither was she going to spoil the surprise she had planned for her friends. No one but her parents had been told of the results of the tests she'd taken back in November. Now the cat would be well and truely out of the bag.

After helping them find their seats and getting a hug from Marilynn for courage, Usagi climbed the stairs to the podium. Swallowing deeply she sent a quick prayer up before she started speaking. In English.

"Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to this conference designed to bring health care professionals and the education system closer together. My name is Tsukino Usagi, and I have a story to tell you.

"One year ago my average hovered around sixty percent. Two of the classes bringing it down were English and Math. The only reason the average was that high was because of my rather stellar PE marks. I just couldn't wrap my head around much of what the teachers were saying. I could occasionally be disruptive, and I was pronounced lazy and stupid more than once.

"Recently I have been doing much better. My average is now in the high eighties, and I am in the top third of my grade. Most of this success is due to my tutor, who encouraged me to be the best I could be. She helped me learn, as only someone else who has had to work for marks really can. If subjects are just understood, almost instinctively, it is near impossible to explain. She helped me see past all the 'help' given by those who don't know what it is to struggle for marks. She helped me recognize my own intelligence.

"My tutor noticed in me that my general laziness was mostly self-inflicted. After all, that was what people seemed to expect from me. She noticed that I had a mind, and a rather sharp one. She realized that my affinity for people meant that I could learn things like new languages. I'd learned plenty of other things, plenty of other ways to communicate.

"Above all, my tutor noticed one thing that has hindered me more than any other thing over the years. My tutor noticed my ADHD. This is the story of how she helped me get past it."

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This story came to me when I realized the anime Usagi shares a bunch of traits similar to a friend of mine from elementary. It's set after Sailor Stars, and the OC is not a self insert. I wish. Actually, the new character is based off of my mother. Also, i don't know if my friend had ADHD. I strongly suspect she did, but she was never tested that I know of.

If I've completely misdiagnosed her, oops. I'm not a doctor. I'm also not ADHD. Or at least I think I'm not.

I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. But you already knew that, so I'm not really sure why you need me to tell you that.


End file.
